Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is one of the first Call of Duty games to not shoot to the top of the PlayStation Store pre-order chart in the days after its big reveal. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the next installment in the long-running annual FPS franchise, developed as a joint collaboration between Treyarch and Raven Software. The game is set to be a direct sequel to the fan-favorite Black Ops 2 and will feature a brand-new co-op campaign, Zombies, and the franchise’s iconic multiplayer.
Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Specter One Group
Compared to some other recent Call of Duty games, last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was generally well-received by fans and critics alike. Black Ops 6 reviews were mostly positive, with an 83 overall critic rating versus the measly 58 earned by 2024’s Modern Warfare 3. While fans were high on Black Ops 6 at first, the game’s reputation has taken a hit in recent months, with fans particularly upset about cartoon character skin bundles they feel clash with the tone, and updates that have failed to get them excited. The hype behind Battlefield 6 has also put a dent in Call of Duty‘s popularity, and if the reaction to Black Ops 7 so far is any indication, it seems that the new game has quite the mountain to climb if it hopes to bounce back.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign trailer has been flooded with dislikes, and if that weren’t enough to show that many are not as enthusiastic about the 2025 game as previous releases, it has also failed to dominate the PlayStation Store pre-order charts like the franchise has done easily in the past. As pointed out by CharlieIntel on Twitter, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has not topped the PlayStation Store pre-order chart in the days after its big unveiling. At the time of this writing, the $99.99 Black Ops 7 Vault Edition is in 6th place, behind two versions of NBA 2K26, EA Sports FC 26, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and the Phantom Edition of Battlefield 6. This potentially marks the end of an era for the Call of Duty franchise’s too-big-to-fail dominance, but at the end of the day, it will still likely be one of the best-selling games of the year, if not the best. Still, there are multiple factors likely playing into the seemingly weakened interest in Black Ops 7 compared to previous games, and it will be interesting to see if the game is able to overcome these hurdles.
Black Ops 7 is a Day One Xbox Game Pass Game
One reason why Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 may not be performing quite as well on the PlayStation Store as expected is the fact that it’s going to debut as a day one Xbox Game Pass game. Now, PlayStation 5 gamers do not have access to Game Pass, but there are undoubtedly those that own both a PS5 and PC or a PS5 and an Xbox. In the past, these individuals may have gone with the PS5 as their platform of choice for Call of Duty, but now that they can get the full Black Ops 7 experience through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, they may be opting to go that route instead. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, those on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S will be able to play through everything Black Ops 7 has to offer – campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies – without paying anything beyond what they already do for their subscription.
Black Ops 7’s Release Date is Farther Away Than Usual
Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Specter One
Even though Call of Duty usually pulls ahead of its competition on the PlayStation Store pre-order charts right away, it does make sense that the games ahead of it are currently ahead of it. After all, NBA 2K26 and EA Sports FC 26 are both launching in September, while Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater‘s release date is mere days away from the time of this writing. Battlefield 6 is launching in October, while Black Ops 7 isn’t releasing until November 14. This marks the latest day in the year that a main series Call of Duty game has ever been released. Even with the negativity surrounding the campaign reveal trailer and the incredible momentum enjoyed by Battlefield 6, it’s highly likely that Black Ops 7 pre-orders will jump the closer we get to its November 14 release date.
Zombies and Multiplayer Are Still Mostly a Mystery
Potentially the biggest factor keeping Black Ops 7 from conquering the PlayStation Store pre-order chart right away is the fact that the game’s Zombies and multiplayer offerings are largely still shrouded in mystery. Fans have received some details about what to expect, with the developers confirming tweaks to Black Ops 7‘s multiplayer and some of the characters fans can look forward to seeing in the returning round-based Zombies, but neither mode has had their big blowout yet. Substantial Black Ops 7 multiplayer and Zombies reveals will take place during the Call of Duty NEXT event on September 30, and if that presentation goes well, one can expect a pre-order spike.
Call of Duty Has Bigger Competition This Year
The Battlefield franchise once went toe-to-toe with Call of Duty, but it’s been a long time since it was ever an actual threat to Activision’s blockbuster FPS. Battlefield 2042 was near-universally panned, and while not every new Call of Duty game has been a hit, they’ve all been better-received than that game. But EA is coming out swinging this year with Battlefield 6 and proving its confidence in the game by hosting a truly open beta that let everyone play two months in advance with no strings attached. The Battlefield 6 beta has had some criticisms, but has otherwise been praised as a genuine return to form for the franchise. There is significant hype behind Battlefield 6 in a way that the franchise hasn’t seen since the days of Battlefield 3 and 4, and so that is likely hurting interest in Black Ops 7.
But it’s worth pointing out that Black Ops 7 hasn’t really had its day in the sun yet. The Black Ops 7 multiplayer beta doesn’t start until October, and while there will be early access for those that pre-order or are signed up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it too will eventually open to everyone. Once fans have had the chance to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for themselves, it’s entirely possible that public perception will change. For now, it’s clear that Black Ops 7 has its work cut out for it, but even then, it will likely be one of the best-selling games of the year when it’s all said and done. The PlayStation Store pre-order charts show that it’s certainly possible that Call of Duty‘s automatic dominance over the industry may very well be over, but that doesn’t mean it still won’t be the best-selling game year-in and year-out. It may just have to shake things up a bit and put up a greater fight against competitors like Battlefield if it hopes to do so.
